Kinmen Deputy County Magistrate Announces Bid for County Magistrate

Independent Deputy Magistrate of Kinmen County, Lee Wen-liang, established a constituent service center on the 22nd and announced his candidacy for the Kinmen County Magistrate election to be held at the end of the year.

Regarding the Kinmen County Magistrate election, the Kuomintang (KMT) has already nominated legislator Chen Yu-chen, while former Kinmen County Magistrate Yang Cheng-wu has also indicated he will "not be absent" from the race, sparking speculation.

In response to Lee's candidacy, Chen Yu-chen stated in a written release, "I thank Deputy Magistrate Lee for his contributions to Kinmen over the past four years. As a daughter of Kinmen, I feel that the people expect greater changes from the leadership team. With my execution and determination, I will work with everyone to truly change Kinmen."

According to a statement from Yang Cheng-wu's office, Yang noted that Kinmen is the frontline of the Republic of China and lacks resources, so it should build connections rather than foster opposition. "I am a native of Kinmen, and my commitment to serving the people remains unchanged."

Lee Wen-liang, speaking at his service center in Jinning Township, proposed the core ideology of "Star of the Strait, Cross-Domain City." He argued that Kinmen should not only be a bridge across the strait but also the core of the strait, connecting Taiwan to Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and even the Americas.

He said, "By looking west, through the international city of Xiamen, we can extend our reach to major cities across China and connect to Southeast Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and Australia. We should no longer be limited to cross-strait relations; we should look toward the international stage."

Lee also proposed governance concepts such as "Cross-strait peace, Kinmen first," "Policy continuity, professional governance," and "Sustainable development, international integration."

When asked by the media when he would resign, Lee stated that he had made a preliminary report to the County Magistrate, but given the continuity of county affairs, he would choose to focus on the election after a proper handover of duties.

Lee holds a doctorate in sports science from the University of Northern Colorado and has served as a professor at the National Quemoy University and as the head of the Kinmen County Education Department.